Council committee approves streetcar-related ballot language

By Vianna Davila :
August 20, 2014
: Updated: August 21, 2014 1:29am

SAN ANTONIO — It's looking more certain that voters will get their say on a streetcar-related charter amendment in May, after the City Council Governance Committee voted Wednesday to send proposed ballot language to the full council for consideration.

The proposed language — if approved by the full council and then by voters in May — would amend the city charter so that no money could be spent on streetcar or light rail, nor would the city grant permission to use city streets for those kinds of rail projects, unless a majority of voters agrees to it.

The suggested ballot language could still be amended when the full council meets to discuss it. Five council members, including Mayor Ivy Taylor, sit on the governance committee.

The council voted earlier this month to revoke both funding and support for VIA Metropolitan Transit's proposed downtown streetcar system in light of an aggressive petition drive to put the project to a vote.

On Wednesday, the committee also discussed the possible makeup and duties of a charter review commission, which will study various issues, including whether council members should be paid.

For more on this developing story, read the full story onExpressNews.comor in Thursday's edition of the Express-News.